Program

The Beijing Center for Chinese Studies is a Jesuit-based study abroad program administered by Loyola University Chicago. The Beijing Center offers students a distinctive blend of course work and first-hand experience. It achieves this through intensive or regular-track Mandarin courses, cultural seminars, business and political science courses, and educational travel. The intensive Chinese-language courses are three hours a day, four days a week. Each student is provided with a personal tutor to help them prepare assignments for the language courses. Course levels range from beginner to advanced conversational.

Courses are taught seminar-style in English by top Chinese scholars in their fields, some of whom are Beijing’s leading political and business figures. The program also offers two different excursion trips each semester, one at the beginning of the semester and one at the break. Students on past trips have traveled ancient international trade routes, met Tibetan monks and nomads along the way, rode camels through the dunes of the Gobi Desert, explored traditional markets and visited pandas in Sichuan!

Academics

Summer Courses offered
The Beijing Center is designed as an academic site to gain expertise on China. In that spirit, the center offers a variety of courses in many subjects with a focus on China.

Internship Program
In the summer, students can participate in the 10-week summer Global Leaders Internship Program which is comprised of 6 credits of internship experience. Please view the syllabus here. The intention of the course is to not only provide a rigorous internship experience but also to equip the students with the ability to reflect upon and articulate their experiences when back in their home environment or even during job interviews

Housing

Students at the Beijing Center have the option to live in a residence hall on the campus of the University of International Business and Economics or to live with a host family in Beijing. On campus housing offers two options, dorm rooms or apartment style rooms. Both of these on-campus options have double occupancy and all students have the option to request a Chinese roommate. A Chinese roommate is required for students in the intensive Chinese program. Home stays can be arranged by the Beijing Center staff upon request. For more information please visit their website.

Beijing is famous for having 100,000 restaurants, and the food is excellent. There are two cafeterias on campus and a coffee shop. In general you can purchase a hot meal at the cafeterias for less than one U.S. dollar. Food in general is much less expensive than in the U.S. A typical dish at a restaurant costs two or three US dollars.

Budget

Please reference the above "Budget Sheets" link

Location

Beijing, the capital city of the People’s Republic of China, is the political, scientific and commercial center of this ancient land. Known as Peking in the west until 1949, Beijing literally means "Northern Capital," and has been the imperial and political center of China since it was first declared the capital over 1,000 years ago. Today, it is home to more than 17 million people of 56 ethnicities who reside in the municipality’s 6,500 square miles

Most recently home to the 2008 Olympic Games, Beijing has developed rapidly into a modern metropolis, while maintaining its ancient city charm. The Chinese tourism industry has also come a long way in improving its transportation, services, accommodations, shopping facilities and recreation.